Sturgeon season wraps up

Monday

Feb 4, 2013 at 10:55 PM

The last two fish of the season were speared on Monday.The fifth sturgeon was a 59.5-inch, 42-pound tagged fish of unknown sex, harvested by John Stiles.

Shawna Jankoviak

By SHAWNA JANKOVIAKshawna@cheboygantribune.comBLACK LAKE — The 2013 sturgeon spearing season on Black Lake lasted two-and-a-half days before the harvest limit of six fish were taken.Nearly 270 anglers registered to participate in the season, which was an increase from 2012, when the season closed after only two fish were harvested, in order to ensure the state's allocation was not exceeded and to make up for additional fish that were harvested in 2011.This year, the state set the 2013 total harvest limit for the season at six sturgeon, and the allocation was not exceeded. Once the sixth fish was taken, Department of Natural Resources officials were able to close the season promptly, notifying all anglers within 15-20 minutes of the sixth fish being reported.Three sturgeon were harvested on the opening day of the 2013 season.The first sturgeon speared during the 2013 Black Lake season was taken by Timothy Garms. The untagged male fish was 39 inches long and weighed 11 pounds.The second fish was harvested by Claudia Wright of Onaway. It was a tagged female measuring 66 inches and weighing 67 pounds.The third fish was taken by Todd Schryer of Cheboygan. The tagged male was 63.5 inches long and weighed 54 pounds.A fourth fish was harvested on Sunday, the second day of the season, by Dan Stroup of Bronson, Mich. His fish was an untagged male who measured 42 inches and weighed 13 pounds.The last two fish of the season were speared on Monday.The fifth sturgeon was a 59.5-inch, 42-pound tagged fish of unknown sex, harvested by John Stiles.The sixth fish was a 45-inch, 18-pound untagged female taken by Dan O'Henley.The daily fishing hours of the season were lengthened slightly from 2012, allowing anglers to fish from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on each day of the season.Anglers that harvested a lake sturgeon had to tag the fish immediately and contact an on-ice DNR employee and register the fish at the Zolner Road trailer registration site on Black Lake. Registration included a removal of a piece of fin tissue for DNA analysis and aging and official measurements of weight and length.Recent changes in registration logistics were developed to allow greater participation by anglers while protecting the population of lake sturgeon in Black Lake from overharvest.